Rhythm is coming back...

Its been another good week, three good run of 10.5km, 10.5km and 13km each on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. All three 10.5km distances were done in 1hr 06/07mins. Which clearly tells me that my running rhythm is coming back. In the next few weeks I hope to increase from 3 to 4 runs a week and to step up my Sunday long run to something like 20km in a phased manner.

I have been watching a DVD called Evolution Running, given to me by a fellow runner. It was sort of a extension of the Chi running book I was reading last week. But its just that the drills and other things suggested by them are a little difficult for me to follow, but thankfully I have been doing most of the things right. Just need to get more regular and be patient.

Another week down..

I could not manage the planned run on Saturday. I did not really have a choice as I barely slept on Friday night, managed only 3 hours as I was having a blast on Friday night. The Sunday run was a late run, but managed the 10.5km run in about 1hr 9minutes.

Over all the week had some two very good runs and the weekend was a lot of fun. Looking forward to more such eventful weekends.

Am looking forward to tomorrow's morning run. Next week is going to have a bit of traveling so I hope I can stick to my running schedules. And yes, am waiting for the rains to return, am missing them big time.

Late start to the week

I had a very good run today, did a very peaceful 11km run in about 1hr 10mins. Not sure if it was a freak case or benefits of chi running kicking in. I have completed about 5 chapters of the book, but the main benefit/essence of the book was picked up by me in the first chapter and after that the book has just rambled on without actually taking the book to a higher level with each successive chapter. The big thing I picked up was that one needed to relax arms and limbs completely and to just let the body move (more glide) on its own, with complete control over ones breathing & driving the body from Chi (the center of the body). I hope I can actually make it happen with each of my forthcoming runs.

I hope to do two more runs this week, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. And if I am lucky and can get out early maybe even do a swim on Sunday. I am yet to do two activities back to back, bike and run or do a run and swim. Will this Sunday be the first one?

a mixed week

Start to the week was dreadful, I suffered a bad bout of stomach infection and needed to take some antibiotics (my first for stomach) to get rid of it. The second half of the week was a lot better, thankfully did not have to take too many days off from running and also from work.

This gave me a lot of time to think about Triathlons. I was giving some deep thought to the different types of Tri's in the market and I should aim to do first. The ultimate is Ironman - 3.8km swim, 180km cycling & 42km run. Half Tri (medium distance), which is basically half of everything in Ironman. Olympic tri with 1.5km swim, 40km biking, 10km run. I was originally planning to take up Olympic tri in 2009, which given even my current ability seems a little too easy (I should be able to manage it with as little as 2months preparation time). So I might actually have to find a Medium distance Tri or actually directly get down to doing a Ironman as my first tri, directly in 2010.

I did a mid-night run on Thursday (after a long time), managed 6kms in 36minutes. I also when for a swim on Saturday evening as I was feeling extremely lazy to do a morning run. This was not the usual with mechanical laps, more leisurely, relaxed swimming for about 30mins. Sunday I was back to doing my usual runs, managed a 11km run in about 1hr 12mins.

I need to pick some pace, distance and improve my frequency of runs, I have been doing the 11km runs for too long now.

Chi running and more

I finally got down to reading my first book on running. Actually there aren't any books on endurance/ultra/distance running, and definitely none in any Indian book store (which is quite understandable as there is no running culture). I have just about read the first chapter, but realise that this book is actually written for me, its in sync with my running habits & the way I approach running. I am quite sure that I will enjoy reading the book and will gain a lot from it. I have to thank a fellow runner whom I met recently during one of my runs for this book.

I would recommend this book who is looking at taking up running seriously. You can pick it up from Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/ChiRunning-Danny-Dreyer/dp/074325144X

Yesterday was very interesting, I cycling for about 22km in the morning, my first biking ride/trip in ten years. I could not have chosen a worse time to do it. I had rained the whole day on Friday night and the road was slippery, mucky and there was a lot of traffic on a Saturday morning. The 22km bike ride took 1hr 25mins to complete. It was one of the toughest things I have done in a long time, I have never been so alert ever in my life. Stray dogs where at their worst, guess the rain had really upset them and I was chased (well the dog was charging at me with a lot of aggression), one of them for quite some distance. Lessons learnt - never to go on a biking trip on the highway on anything but a Sunday, to start by 7am in the morning and to never bike when its raining or when roads are wet. I had hoped to have done the cycling trip in about 40-45mins, so may entire schedule for the day went haywire.

I was hoping to go for a swim after the cycling trip. The only problem is that the pool is about 25-30km from my house, so need to plan for it well in advance. The cycling trip took a lot out of me, I was completely covered in muck (my entire back was covered with it). I needed some super cleansing and disinfection to feel clean again... and I gave up my plans to go for a swim.

In the afternoon, I happened to catch a new flick "21" - a movie about a bunch of MIT kids (led by their Math prof), crack Black Jack in Las Vegas using their intelligence, math skills, training and memory (counting) to beat the house. This movie was a huge stress buster and got me ready for my swim in the evening. I did about 1.25kms (50laps of my pool) in about 35mins very comfortably. By this time the weather change of the last few days had already had its impact and I was suffering a horrible throat infections. By some weird logic I was hoping that the swim would cure my throat infection.

The throat infection and the strenuous exercise routine of Saturday was starting to take its toll on me and I decided to skip my planned Sunday morning run. I always believe in listening to my body and not push it when its not really ready. I decided to rest and ensure that I slept till late on Sunday morning and in the afternoon. But by afternoon I was again itching to go out for a short run as it was getting difficult to resist running in the rain. Its been raining the whole of Saturday and Sunday but I had not had a single run in the rain (this year). I finally got out of my house in the evening (3km one way) for a short run to the coffee shop and to get down to reading Chi-Running.

Great week in the making

Its been a great week so far and in all likelihood it should stay the same way. I successfully managed two weekday runs with reasonable ease. I ran on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to work. I did the two 10.5km runs in about 1hr 7mins 30sec and 1hr 6mins respectively. Today's run was the smoothest (for the last 2 months) as I was able to manage it comfortably without having to walk in between, the rhythm seems to be coming back (hope I have not spoken too early). Though the in between waking does not really affect timing, it does take the sense of fulfillment out of the run.

It rained in the evening on both the days when I ran, which ensured that the run was in very humid weather. These are pre monsoon showers, the monsoons is due sometime mid June. But its a welcome relief from the high temperatures of the last few months.

I am looking forward to my first biking trip, plan to do a 20km run. I hope it does not rain tomorrow, last thing I need is a slippery road when I am riding a bike after a long long time. I have my riding gear in place, so it should not be much of a problem. After cycling, I hope to go for a swim to try and get things going and finally end the week with a run tomm., with a 13km run.

Its been a regular week. Managed the regular 2 runs during the week. The first was on Tuesday, did a 10.5km run in about 1hr 10mins. This was the first time when my backpack troubled me, the weight was straining my upper back (so I need to add another element to my list of things to strengthen).

This Sunday run was one of the toughest in a long time, could not manage anything more than a 7.5km run. I started really late 9.30am, which is this weather is not the best thing to do, plus the fact that I have not been logging enough weekly mileage, ensure that I had to give up well before the planned distance of 11km.

So I badly need to increase my frequency of runs, what better than to start off on Monday morning itself. I only wish I can sleep early, which will be possible only if the IPL final is a one sided affair!

And yes, my bicycle is looking wonderful after a complete overhaul (well everything except for the original frame seems to have been replaced!). Not sure when I will start riding again, I can't see myself riding it in the traffic, so I will need to get up very early in the morning to ride it. Maybe get up early on a Sunday morning, cycle 20km and then do a 10km run. Seems like a good idea.